Ice-boat.



UNITED STATES- OFFICE.

FORDHAM coorna MAHONY', OF NEW YORK; N.'Y., AND AUSTIN MILES HOPEY, 1a.,F

, WEEHAWKEN,

NEW JERSEY Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

To all whom it may concern: I f

Be it known that we, FoRorrAM @Coornn and AUSTI MILEKI-IOPEY, Jrn,residing at \Veehawken, in {the county of'I-Iudson and" State of NewJersey, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in .Ice-Boats, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart thereof. v

Our invention relatestoimprovements in vehicles adapted tobepropelledalongice or hard snow and commonly called ice boats; and anobject of our invention is to provide a vehicle of the class justdescribed which will prove simple in construction, comparatively cheapin manufacture and readily.

controllable and dirigible in use.

Another object of our invention .isto provide an ice boat which may bepropelled by a young boy using his legs.

A further object of our invention is to provide an ice boat in which thepropellers may in case of need be used as a brake.

Other features of our invention willbe alluded to in the description andclaims which follow.

In the drawings illustrating the principle of our invention and the bestmode now known to us of applying that principle, Figure l is a sideelevation .of our new ice boat; Fig. 2 is a central verticallongitudinal section; Fig. 3is a plan view;;Fig. ,4 is a sectionaldetail showing the devices'for raising and lowering the propellers; andFig. 5 is a detail of the rudder and its mounting. V

The shell or hull a is mounted upon a pair of runners b and carries atitsfront. end a hood 0 and at its rear a seat (Z. Between" the sides ofthe shell near its middle is mounted a footboard c which serves as arest for the feet of the operator or driver and also as a fender toprotect his legs a ainst the current of cold air and against driftingsnow. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the hood 0 is formed with a centrallongitudinal slot f and each of its sides is supported by suitablebraces f, while transversebraces 9 extend between the sides of theshell.

J ournaled in rearof thefootboard e and suitably disposed with regard tothe seat cl:

vided with pedals and cliainconn ectetl is atransverseshaft' huponl'whioh is trally V mounted the driving s rocket z' pro'-j with thesprocket 76 which is fast upon the i propeller-shaft m. Mountedfast uponthe latter on each 'side of the sprocket' lcjis a toothed propeller atbut the numhejrLof pellersmay bevaried tomeet the exi encies formed;

of use. Eaoh side" ofthe shell a is with a slot o'through which projectsan'en'd of the propeller-shaft m; and each end of the latter i's carriedby and journal'ed in the lower end" of an elbow-lever p the upper end,

of which is" formed'withlthef hand gras'p (1. The elbow-levers 29 areeach fulcrumed upon an end of the transverse shaftr and extend upwardlybetween the side of the seat 03 and a toothed bar 8 fastened thereto(Fig. 4).

When the elbow levers p are engaged in the notches t, thepropeller-shaft m is raised so that the teeth of the propellers do nottouch the ice (or the crust of the snow) and the driver, resting hisfeet upon the footboard 6, may coast. By throwing the elbowlevers p tothelast notch in rear, the driver, back-pedaling at the same time, mayuse the propellers as a brake. In the position of the elbow-leversintermediate these extreme positions, the propellers will be engagedmore or less with the'ice for the purpose of driving the. ice boat atthe will of the operator. I

U Extending transversely between the sides of the shell (6 at itsforward part is a spring or yielding rudder-bar a through which projectsat its center the rudder-post v on the lower end of which is mounted therudder w and on the upper end of which is mounted the transverse pin 0:by which the forked end of the steering-rod 3 is pivotally secured tothe rudder-post v. The upper end of the steering-rod g is provided witha suitable grasp, as the hand-wheele; By turning the adjusting nuts 2,after loosening the lockingnuts 3, the position of the rudder w may bechanged relatively to the rudder-bar u. But the nuts 2 are so adjustedas to allow the rudder-post 'v to turn readily, as will be understood. I

The longitudinal slot f in the hood 0 permits the steering-rod 3/ to bethrown to the front (see dotted lines, Fig. 2) and to be then used forhauling the ice boat should occasion require.

The rudder-bar it being flexible, it allows the rudder w to give oryield in case it meets inequalities in the ice.

We claim:

1. In an ice-boat, the combination with a shell having walls providedwith runners, of a seat for the driver suitably disposed in said shell;a foot-board mounted transversely of said shell between said walls; afoot-operated wheel provided with pedals and arranged below said seatand inthe rear of said foot-board, said foot-board serving to shield thelegs of the driver while operating said wheel; a propeller shaft drivenby said wheel, said shaft being readily movable by the driver towardsand away from the ice; a propelling device mounted on said shaft; andmechanism for moving said device free from the ice to allow the boat tocoast, said last named mechanism being under the control of the driverand readily operated by him.

2. In an ice boat, the combination with the shell, of a yieldingtransverse rudder bar secured at each end to a side of said shell; a

rudder-postmountcd free to turn in said rudder-bar; a rudder upon thelower end of said rudder post; and a steering rod connected with saidrudder post, said. yielding rudder-bar holding the rudder down upon theice and allowing the rudder to yield on meeting inequalities in thesurface of the ice.

3. In an ice boat, the combination with the shell and steering mechanismtherefor, said shell being formed with a longitudinal slot. of a.steering rod pivotally connected with said mechanism and tree to beswung through said slot in front of the boat. whereby said rod may beused as a draft device to haul the boat.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands at said New York cityin the presence of the two undersigned witnesses this twenty-fifth dayof October,- [907.

FORDHAM COOPER MAHON Y. AUSTIN MILES HOPEY, JR.

IVitnesses Eiram I. MoQ-ui'riiy, J AMES IIAMILTON.

